Treaty Promises, Indian Reality

The federal government promised to care for the Indians in perpetuity and in return, the nomadic Indians would sign treaties, settle on reserves, and learn to be farmers. Many Indians, including those led by Chief Cowessess, were forced out of their traditional territory by the government and driven by hunger to reserves where agents of Indian Affairs controlled every aspect of life on and off the reserve. With the assistance of writer Linda Ungar, Harold LeRat relates the history of the Cowessess people through stories told by elders and historical research, providing a look at the reality of many First Nations peoples as well as the development of reserves on the Prairies. In a respectful and personal account of his life on an Indian reserve and in residential schools, LeRat points to the many successes of Indian peoples despite the countless challenges they faced.